Pelican Lake in Cherry County: How and When to Fish It

• Overview

  This water sits in Cherry County, Nebraska. The country here is pine and birch. Around 88 acres of surface means several distinct areas to work. Around 1.3 miles of margin, front to back. 38 miles away sits Gordon, the nearest town. Beyond it, Martin at 52 miles and Pine Ridge at 62 miles. It lies deep inside the county rather than near an edge.

• Where to Fish on Pelican Lake

  No chart reached our records; the first cast is your sounding. A soft bed grows weed late into autumn, which keeps fish shallow. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Cherry County records list white sucker, common carp, green sunfish and rock bass among the fish reported. Records at this level tell you what is in the area. Fish Pelican Lake where the bottom changes rather than where it looks deep.

• Seasonal Patterns

  The warm month here averages 72°F; the cold one sits at 22°F. Winter puts a hard lid on this one. Expect a solid lid for months and a thaw around late March. The water is typically free of ice between late March and early December. The shoulder weeks of the open season are the productive ones. The season on Pelican Lake follows the weather closely.

• Tackle & Baits

  Our records carry no access rule either way. No dam controls it, and the level follows the season. Nothing built is recorded close to the bank here. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Where the road in crosses private land, ask first. A polite question at the farm gate opens more banks than anything else. If the gate is shut, Home Valley Lake at 1.2 miles is the nearest alternative. Check the position at Pelican Lake before loading the car.